American Airlines to charge a new fee for unaccompanied minors

It’s going to cost parents who fly their tweens across the country to see grandma on American Airlines AAL flights, according to reports in the Dallas Morning News.

The airline, which recently merged with fellow carrier US Airways, is now charging a fee of $150 for children aged 12-14 who are flying solo, according to an employee memo obtained by the newspaper. Previously, the charge was only mandatory for kids between 5 and 11, but starting Sept. 3 the age range will be extended.

The newspaper also reported that the company is working on merging the policies of the two carriers. US Airways, for example, doesn’t currently allow unaccompanied minors to have itineraries that include connecting flights. American does, so soon US Airways will allow children to make a connection as well.

For any tickets bought before the new charge goes into effect, children ages 12-14 will receive the unaccompanied minors service for free.

Airline satisfaction survey ranks US Airways, Frontier last

Passenger satisfaction with North American airlines reached a record high this year, according to a new survey by J.D. Power, with Alaska Airlines and JetBlue Airways again topping the rankings.

J.D. Power on Wednesday said the improved view was mainly driven by an increase in satisfaction with costs and fees, though it cautioned passengers weren’t exactly thrilled with the fees airlines charge for baggage check.

“It isn’t that passengers are satisfied with fees, it’s that they are simply less dissatisfied because they realize that fees have become a way of life with air travel,” said J.D. Power’s Rick Garlick.

Overall passenger satisfaction with airlines stood at 712 on a 1,000-point scale, a 17-point increase from last year’s survey.

The survey measures seven factors, including cost and fees, in-flight services and the flight crew. The study is based on responses from passengers who flew on a major North America airline between March 2013 and March this year.

Alaska Air Group Inc. ALK led the rankings among traditional carriers for a seventh consecutive year, while JetBlue Airways Corp. JBLU ranked the highest among low-cost carriers for a ninth straight year.

United Airlines UAL and U.S. Airways ranked below the traditional segment’s average performance, with the latter coming in last. Among low-cost carriers, Frontier Airlines had the worst satisfaction ranking, J.D. Power said.